Yes, a tambour made with the Amama Tambour Bits will work smoothly horizontally or vertically. It's important to smooth the ends of the tambour slats and the bottom of the groove by sanding lightly. Also, after finishing I apply a light coat of paste wax and buff the surfaces. This reduces the friction as the tambour slides in the groove.

Amana makes several types of stile & rail bits which make it easy to create raised panel doors. Here are the choices:

-Reversible bits, such as no.55350, are the most economical because one bit is used to create the decorative edge profile and the mating end cut on the ends of the rails. Using this type of bit requires that you disassemble the bit and re-arrange the cutters for the second cut.

-One-Piece bits, such as Amana no.55462, have both the decorative edge profile and the mating end profile stacked on the same bit. To use both profiles the bit is raised or lowered in the router table.

-InStile bits, such as Amana no.55436 come as a two bit set. These patented router bits adjust to fit undersized plywood panels. This prevents the door panel from rattling when the door is used. Most of today's plywood is undersized, in other words, it is thinner than advertised. These innovative bits can be adjusted to fit the plywood. This is important if you plan to use plywood panels in your doors.

-Two-piece bits, such as Amana no.55430, come packaged as a two bit set. One bit cuts the decorative edge and panel groove; the second bit shapes the mating end on the rails. This is an easy set to use.

Amana no.54121 raised panel bit is for 5/8" thick door panel stock. The height of the bit must be adjusted in the table so that the panel edge fits the groove in the door frame.

Raised panel bits with a back cutter, such as Amana no.54221, allow you to use thicker panel stock. Also, the back cutter ensures a good fit between the panel edge and the frame groove.

It depends upon the panel stock. If the stock is solid wood it will expand and contract with changes in the seasons regardless of whether it is a flat panel or raised panel. However, a flat panel made from plywood can be safely glued into the frame with no problems. The solid stock used for the stile and rail framework surrounding the panel is too narrow to create a seasonal wood movement problem and, besides, the stiles and rails can still move in a direction away from the panel. You'll have no problems gluing a plywood panel into the frame.

Today's plywood is usually undersized and for a rattle free door you may want to try the Amana InStile Door Making Router Bits.

Amana makes a number of router bits, such as nos.53820 and 49562, that are designed for profiling the edge of doors and drawers. Also, there are a
number of other bits, such as no. 54282, that will work, too.

We suggest that you limit the length of the tambour to 60 inches. Longer lengths may sag because the tambour strips are supported only at each end.

Almost all kitchen cabinets are constructed from a combination of solid wood and plywood; plywood is strong, relatively inexpensive, and, unlike solid wood, it is very convenient when making the large panels needed for the construction of kitchen cabinets.

On better cabinets, solid wood is often used for structural areas that take a lot of strain and abuse while veneered plywood is used for much of the other components. For example, the framework of a stile-and-rail cabinet door is usually solid wood to provide strength at the corners. However, the panel is often plywood with a veneer to match the frame.

As for your cabinets, I seriously doubt that you've been "ripped off". That depends upon the wording in your contract for the cabinets. Unless the contract stated "solid maple throughout" the contractor was free to use veneered plywood. There are many reasons to use veneer: to create matching drawers and doors, to create visually appealing surfaces that cannot be created with solid wood, or simply to contain costs. In other words, veneer does not necessarily equate with lower quality. In fact, sometimes a veneered surface can costs considerably more than solid wood.

Even though the plywood in your cabinet doors is thin, it's most likely sufficient for strength. I suggest that you enjoy your cabinets and not worry that some of the components are plywood.

I remember the first time that I constructed a true divided light door with mortise-and-tenon joinery; it can be quite a puzzle. The Amana Divided Light Door Set no.55360 makes the process somewhat easier because the bit set creates the tenon.

For the greatest strength, it's important to stop the mortise-and-tenon joint before reaching the end of the stile. At the end of the stile the excess tenon is trimmed away on the rail. On the stile it is necessary to trim away a very small portion of the "sticking", just the small fillet below the roundover. I've included a close-up drawing which may help.

It sounds as though you have a European hinge that will not work for the type of door that you are constructing. There are three basic types of cabinet doors: overlay, flush, and lipped. Each of the three types position the door differently in relation to the cabinet stile.

As the name implies, overlay doors fit over the cabinet door opening and consequently so not really need to fit the opening. This makes it easy to hang the door; the door does not really fit the opening, instead, it simply covers the opening. Of course the door sits completely proud of the cabinet face and to some it may appear unrefined.

Flush fitting doors fit inside the cabinet between the stiles and rails.This style of cabinet door has made a strong comeback recently because it has a traditional, refined appearance. Of course it requires lot of time, skill and effort to carefully fit each door to it's opening.

A lipped door appears refined because, unlike an overlay door, most of the door thickness is inside of the cabinet when the door is in the closed position. The edges of a lipped door are rabbetted and slightly overlap the cabinet stiles and rails. Unlike a flush fitting door, this method hides the seam at the door perimeter and the fitting process is not quite as time-consuming or tedious.

I suggest that you talk to a representative at the hinge dealer and explain what you need. He will be able to recommend the appropriate European hinge.

Providing a height measurement only serves to complicate the setup process, especially since most woodworkers do not have a tool which will provide a precise measurement to the end of the ball-end cutter.

Have to make a test cut? When setting up a router table I routinely make a test cut. Taking a minute to test the setup is the best method for ensuring that the cut is exactly what is required.

Adjusting the height of the tambour bits, as with most profile router bits, is intuitive. Simply align the lowest portion of the tambour bit profile with the top of the router table. It's quite easy.

View Tambour Router Bit Set

Instead of a cross-lap joint, I suggest that you use the Amana Divided Light Door Bit Set. The set #55360 uses mortise-and-tenon construction which is stronger and much easier to construct.

When using a mitered joint with a half-lap on a narrow mullion the miters substantially reduce the width of the narrow mullion and weaken it. However, the mortise-and-tenon with a cope, which is the joint used on the Amana set, is strong because it does not reduce the width of the mullion.

The Amana set also has an attractive traditional profile which will compliment the corner cabinet that you are building.

By the way, the book that you've mentioned is not mine. It is a compilation of projects by several different woodworkers. The book's editor decided to use the mitered joint in the illustrations.

The Amana Tool Divided Light Door Set no.55360 relies on true mortise-and-tenon joinery for strength. True mortise-and-tenon joinery is strong because of the large surface area for glue and the mechanical interlock between the mating parts of the joint. You can cut the mortises with a hollow chisel mortise machine or you can simply drill out the mortise and square the sides with a bench chisel.

When making a cabinet with a tambour I draw a cross-section to determine the space required for the tambour slats. The cross-sectional views show the tambour in open and closed position.

Another method is to simple slide the tambour slats together and measure the length of the complete tambour. The tambour groove must be a little less than twice the length of the complete tambour. This will allow you to grasp the end of the tambour and slide it to a closed position.

If you have additional questions please feel free to contact us.

View our Tambour Router Bit Set

Making a door with a beaded frame is quite easy. You can miter the bead in the corners by using a tablesaw. Here is a link to the page on the Amana Tool website which illustrates the technique and shows the tools that you'll need: http://www.amanatool.com/articles/Constructing_a_Beaded_Face_Frame.html .
Although the article illustrates a face frame, I use the technique often for making doors simply by milling a groove for the door panel.

If you have additional questions please feel free to contact us.

One of the primary ways that joints get their strength is by "long-grain" glue surfaces. For example, all traditional joinery that has stood the test of time, such as dovetails, mortise-and-tenon and tongue-and-groove, all incorporate long-grain gluing surfaces. And as the glue surface area is increased the strength of the joint increases as well.

I recommend the Amana Mission Style Cabinet door set no.55439 because of the greater surface area in the joint.

Stub spindles are used for cutting the cope when making doors for furniture and cabinets or even large architectural doors. The cope is on the shoulder of the tenon and the reverse profile of the cope matches the decorative "sticking" profile on the edges of the stiles and rails.

Unlike the typical shaper spindle which has external threads, the stub spindle has internal threads and the cope cutter is counterbored and held on the spindle with a cap screw. This allows the tenon to ride over the cutter unobstructed. The entire concept is an old one that dates to the nineteenth century when doors and furniture were first machine made and mass-produced.

When I first started woodworking over thirty years ago, cope cutters and stub spindles were still commonly available. Over the years, the idea has been largely been replaced by cope-and-stick bits which, although easy to set up and use, lack the full length tenon associated with fine furniture.

However, to meet the resurging demand for tools that will cut the cope and allow you to make doors with long tenons, Amana now offers a line of cope cutters for the router. The Stub Spindle And Cope Cutter Door System is available for architectural entry doors, cabinet and furniture doors, and even screen doors.

Kitchens can look a little worn and outdated after a few years. One way to improve them without the expense of new cabinets is to replace the doors and drawers. Amana offers a number of different door making router bits that make door construction easy such as no.55420 and no.55430. These bit sets are two-piece; one bit cuts the decorative profile and panel groove and the second bit cuts the matching cope on the ends of the rails.

Amana also has a selection of panel raising bits such as no.54117 and the 54119.

We also have a video posted on our site of door construction which shows how to set up and use these versatile bits.

Although 46" is a wide expanse I see no reason why the tambour will not work for this application. In order to prevent twist or sagging of the tambour slats, it's important to select straight-grained stock that is free of warp and stress.

I understand your concern about binding. For example, wide drawers in a chest will sometimes bind if they twist or rack sideways in the opening. To prevent binding, I fit the drawers with very little side clearance. I suggest that you cut the tambour slats the same way. In other words, short slats will twist sideways in the tambour groove and bind.

Also, to help wooden drawers and tambours slide smoothly, I apply furniture paste wax to the moving parts. Once a finish is applied and the tambour and groove are waxed, very little side clearance is required for smooth operation.

Large tambours can be heavy and so as you open a large tambour it is important to grasp the end and open it gradually to prevent it from dropping into the back of the case. A large tambour is not difficult to open, but it does require care to prevent damage.

View our Tambour Router Set

While I certainly understand that you'd like the tambour to turn a tighter radius I suggest that you do not cut the slats thinner than specified.

Thinner stock would weaken the slats and they would possibly break adjacent to the socket.

When shaping wood with carbide router bits you can use any type of wood that you prefer. Carbide is very hard, much harder than any wood. Carbide will wear faster when used to cut extremely dense wood but it will not damage the carbide, you'll just have to sharpen it more frequently. Amana uses only the best quality carbide on all of their tools so you can use the tool on hickory without concern.

I see no reason why you cannot use hickory for a tambour. However, as with any wood, it's important to use dry, straight-grain stock if you expect the tambour slats to remain straight.

I do suggest waxing the tambour slats, but only after the finish has completely dried. Waxing wood before applying the finish will prevent the finish from adhering to the wood.

Amana Tool has a router bit set for making true Divided Light Doors. Set no.55360 comes with two bits; the first cuts the sticking and rabbet for the glass. The second bit cuts the tenon and the cope.

Like all of today's door making router bits, you'll need a table mounted router both for accuracy and for your personal safety. I suggest a large router of 3hp or more. Although you will not need that much power for this door making set you'll need it in the future for other door making projects such as panel raising.

Actually, a quality brass butt hinge looks good on an inset door with a beaded face frame. Part of the bead is cut away for the hinge mortise, but the space is filled by the leaf of the hinge. Other types of doors are also fit this way. For example, lipped doors have a thumbnail profile around the perimeter and a portion of the profile is removed to accommodate the hinge. Again, it looks fine because the hinge barrel fills the void.

However, if you do not want to remove part of the bead, another option is to cut the mortise on the door stile deep enough for the entire hinge. Although the pivot point will be slightly off-center, it is not enough to affect the door as it swings.

Another option is to use "H" hinges. "H" hinges are traditional for this type of work and the "H" hinge is surface mounted so there is no need to remove part of the bead.

Divided light doors with diamond shapes are very challenging. I've provided an example in the drawing which uses a two-piece mullion. The main part of the mullion is a 1/8" thick strip of wood which is mortised into the stiles and rails of the doors. Where the mullions intersect at ninety degrees a half-lap joint is used. The rest use miters and epoxy.

After assembling the door the second part of the mullion is applied. This is a decorative cap which fits over the 1/8" sticks. A 1/8" wide groove under the cap strengthens the assembly and aligns the cap as it is applied. The completed door is surprisingly strong once it is fully assembled.

Glazing putty is used to hold each pane of glass in place. The putty should be tinted to match the color of the wood.

Router bits used in 54163 & 45100

I recommend that you limit the length of the tambour to 60". Many old rolltop desks are 60" across. Each slat is supported by the adjacent slats. However, the entire assembly is supported only at each end and so longer lengths may sag.

Also, when milling stock for the slats it's important to select only straight-grained stock that is free of runout and warp.

When gluing tambours strips to the canvas backing it's important that each strip make contact with the adjacent strips; otherwise you'll see the canvas when the tambour is closed. The shape of each slat allows the tambour to flex and slide through the curved track. The tambour slats should be beveled or rounded along the edges to prevent binding.

I suggest that you use white glue for gluing the slats to the canvas.Contact cement will allow the slats to work loose over a period of time. White glue is very strong and a tambour constructed with white glue will last many years. In fact, the cloth back will wear out before the glue fails.

When gluing a tambour, I make a clamping jig which is simply two pieces of 3/4" thick plywood which I use to sandwich the slats and canvas. I tack strips of wood around the perimeter of the plywood that forms the lower half of the sandwich; the strips will create a "tray" to keep the slats in position.

I start by ironing the canvas to remove all wrinkles. Then I position the canvas in the tray and apply white glue with a stiff, wide brush. Next, I quickly and carefully position the slats side-by-side on the canvas. Then I apply the second piece of plywood over the slats and apply pressure with clamps and cauls. After the glue has had a half-hour to set I remove the clamps and carefully remove any glue squeeze-out from between the slats. After 30 minutes the glue will be firmly set but the squeeze-out will be soft enough that you can peel it off with a sharp chisel.

Over the years, I've made a number of tambours this way. It's a very tedious process. I suggest that you try Amana's Tambour Bit Set. This unique router bit set shapes tambours that interlock like a ball-and-socket joint. And unlike the glue and canvas method, making a tambour with the bits is quite easy; after shaping the tambour slats, they just slide together.

Click here to view our patented Tambour Router Bit set that uses no glue, cloth or wires.

Wainscot cabinet doors consist of a stile-and-rail framework surrounding thin tongue-and-groove wainscot. I suggest using 3/4" thick stock for the door frame. You can join the corners of the frame with Amana Tool no.55401 which will also cut the 3/8" groove for the wainscot.

The 3/8" thick wainscot can be a tongue-and-groove or half-lap assembly. It's important that the wainscot fit snug in the panel groove and that no glue is used on the wainscot to allow for seasonal wood movement.

Tools Required
Corner Beading Router Bit No. 54162
Rabbeting Router Bit No. 49300
Slotting Cutter Assembly No. 53306-1
Tongue & Groove Assembly No. 55401

The molding profile around the inside edges of stiles and rails is referred to as "sticking". Where the intersects in the corners it must be mitered or coped. Both methods have their advantages.

One advantage to mitering the sticking is that you can choose most any profile, even those, such as Amana Tool no.54162, that are impossible to cope. However, mitering each corner and removing the excess sticking at the mortise is time-consuming, especially when you're constructing a kitchen full of doors.

A much more efficient method is to cope the sticking. Amana has a Cabinet Door Bit Set, nos.47515 and 54175, which are part of the Stub Spindle & Cope Cutter Door System. The first bit shapes an ogee sticking profile and the matching cope bit, no.47515, cuts the cope on the tenon shoulder. With this unique system you can make the tenon any length that you want.

To shape a raised panel which is curved on the edge you can use any of the horizontal raised panel bits such as Amana Tool no.54119. Because a fence cannot be used for curved stock you'll need to use a starting pin to position the work and pivot the edge into the spinning bit. Once the edge makes contact with the guide bearing feed the stock from right to left in the usual way. Because you are not using the fence it is very important to use a guard to cover the bit and provide a barrier to protect your hands.

Panels which are curved on the face can be shaped on end with one of Amana's vertical raised panel bits such as no.54524. Use a curved auxiliary fence with a radius to match the radius of the panel. A featherboard with a curved end should be used to keep the panel positioned against the fence during the cut.

We designed divided light door set no.55360 to be easy to use. Because the set is designed to make strong doors with real mortise-and-tenon joinery you'll need to cut mortises with Timberline Hollow Chisel Mortise Bit #609-100, but the tenons are cut by the set. We also include step-by-step instructions with drawings and photos which clearly explain how to make a door with the set.

The InStile & Rail door making bit sets have stacking cutters and shims so that you can fine-tune the groove for an exact fit with the plywood that you're using for the door panel. No more rattling door panels!

When stacking the cutters on the shank it is important to stagger them so that the carbide teeth do not touch. So even though each carbide tooth measures 0.140" wide, the groove (with just the cutters and no shims) will be 0.196", or 3/16". This works because the teeth on the two cutters overlap.

Our new Tambour Bit Set has several advantages over traditional tambours: there's no need for cloth or wires, the tambours simply slide together during assembly. And as you have pointed out, the back of the tambour is as attractive as the front.

We wanted the new set to be versatile so that woodworkers could use it on everything from rolltop desks to kitchen appliance garages. The tambour that you make with our set will easily turn a 3-1/2" radius.

The tambour can easily slide through a groove with a radius of 3-1/2" and slides in a groove 9/16" wide.

View Tambour Illustration

Oak is very dense and the grain is coarse which can make it difficult to work. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Cut the profiles on the ends first--using this method allows you to shape away minor splintering along the edge.
2. Mill the stock slightly oversized in width--after shaping the ends you can rip the stock to final width to remove splintering
3. Attach a backing board to the miter gauge--the backing board will help to minimize splintering on the trailing edge.
4. When shaping the edges use several light passes--light passes will usually minimize tearout.
5. Try reducing the feed rate--this also lightens the cut, just don't go so slow that you create a glazed or burned surface.

If this does not solve the problem please let us know.

E-Z Dial slot cutter. Like the Amana Mission Style door bits the E-Z Dial allows you to adjust the groove to fit undersized plywood. After cutting the miters, (for super-smooth miters try the Amana Tool MS10600 miter saw blade) cut grooves for splines on the corners as well as grooves for the panel. Next, use your planer and a jig to bevel the faces of the stock before assembly.

See Illustration

To make a simple door for a medicine cabinet you can use the Amana Tool slot cutter #53308-1. This tool cuts a 3/16" wide slot; you can control the depth of the slot with the position of the fence on the router table. Use two passes of the slot cutter to cut the tenons on the ends of the rails stock. Then adjust the height to cut a groove for the mirror. 

Deep mortise-and-tenon joinery will add to the strength of a cabinet door by increasing the glue surface area. To cut the mortises
use plunge router and Amana Tool straight plunge bit no.45414.

My favorite method for cutting tenons is with a tablesaw and Amana's stacking dado head #658030. Another option is to cut the tenon with a router table and mortising router bit no.45505. With either method, I use the miter gauge to guide the stock along with the fence to control the tenon length.

When constructing a door with mortise-and-tenon joinery you have a number of different design options. For example, you can choose to shape a decorative "sticking" profile along the inside edges of the door frame. The sticking can be cut with any number of profile bits such as Amana Tool no.49510 corner rounding router bit or no.54170 beading router bit. Where the profiles intersect in the corners of the frame I cut a miter on the stiles and rails with the tablesaw. Mitering the profile also allows you to use profiles that cannot be coped, such as the bead in the photo.

Of course you can also omit the sticking for a simple Mission Style door.

To cut the panel groove first decide what type of panel and panel material that you'll be using. Amana has a number of different raised panel profiles such as no.54119 and 54117. To cut the 1/4" frame groove for the panel you can use Amana Tool no.53210.

The Amana E-Z Dial Slot Cutter no.55500 will allow you to cut an undersized groove for a plywood door panel. Most plywood is undersized and the E-Z Dial adjusts in increments of .004" so you can achieve a perfect fit.

View Illustration - Door With Mitered Sticking
View Illustration - Mission Style Mortise and Tenon

You'll get a cleaner cut with a router bit and using several light passes.  I suggest Amana Tool Mission Style Cabinet Door Set no.55438. This stile-&-rail bit set will give you the simple Shaker look that you're after.

For the first cut, position the fence on the router table so that the router bit lightly scores the wood surface. Because hickory is such a tough, elastic wood you may want to take 3 or four passes to eliminate the possibility of tearout. 

To construct a Mission Style door with glass panes I suggest that you use a mortise-and-tenon joint at each corner for strength. I've provided a drawing of a sample door and here are the steps:

1. Layout and cut 1/4" mortises on the stiles to accept the rails. Center the tenon on the thickness of the stock.

2. Use the Amana Tool dado head no.658030 to cut tenons on the ends of the rails and mullions. The tenon shoulders are offset 1/4" for the glass
rabbet.

3. Use the Amana Tool no.49360 Superabbet to cut a 1/4" by 1/2" rabbet along
the inside edges of the stock.

4. Assemble the door.

View illustration

Shaping or routing end grain is always a greater challenge than long grain because end grain fibers are tough and can easily tear out. My solution is always to increase the cutter RPM (don't exceed the maximum rpm of 12,000) and reduce the feed rate. If tearout still occurs I score the field of the panel first at the tablesaw. This will cut the end grain cleanly and eliminate the tearout.

Cope-and-stick bits allow you to quickly and easily make stile-and-rail doors for furniture and cabinets. There are two basic types, reversible and two-piece.

Reversible bits are an economical choice because you only need one bit to cut both the "cope" and the matching "stick". However, reversible bits require that you disassemble the bit and re-arrange the parts on the shank for the second cut. Also, the decorative "sticking" profiles on reversible bits are limited to symmetrical shapes that can be inverted to create both series of cuts. Reversible bits are not less precise than other types, they just require time to rearrange the parts.

As the name implies, two piece cope-and-stick sets come with two bits; one bit cuts the cope on the ends of the rails, the matching bit cuts the decorative "sticking" profile while simultaneously cutting a groove for the panel. Two-piece bits cost more but they're more convenient because you don't have to stop and rearrange the bit. They're also available in a wider choice of profiles.

Amana has developed a unique style of cope-and-stick set which works with the undersized plywood that is so common today. The new Instile & Rail System™ cope and stick bits use shims which allow you to adjust the groove width to the thickness of the plywood. Instile and Rail bits solve the annoying problem of panel rattle when using plywood door panels.

Cope-and-stick bits allow you to quickly and easily make stile-and-rail doors for furniture and cabinets. There are two basic types, reversible and two-piece.

Reversible bits are an economical choice because you only need one bit to cut both the "cope" and the matching "stick". However, reversible bits require that you disassemble the bit and re-arrange the parts on the shank for the second cut. Also, the decorative "sticking" profiles on reversible bits are limited to symmetrical shapes that can be inverted to create both series of cuts. Reversible bits are not less precise than other types, they just require time to rearrange the parts.

As the name implies, two piece cope-and-stick sets come with two bits; one bit cuts the cope on the ends of the rails, the matching bit cuts the decorative "sticking" profile while simultaneously cutting a groove for the panel. Two-piece bits cost more but they're more convenient because you don't have to stop and rearrange the bit. They're also available in a wider choice of profiles.

Amana has developed a unique style of cope-and-stick set which works with the undersized plywood that is so common today. The new Instile & Rail System™ cope and stick bits use shims which allow you to adjust the groove width to the thickness of the plywood. Instile and Rail bits solve the annoying problem of panel rattle when using plywood door panels.